The Detroit Pistons have continued their rise, while the Indiana Pacers are in freefall heading into their matchup on Monday at Detroit.
The Pistons own the Eastern Conference’s best record at 11-2 and will seek their 10th straight victory. It’s their longest winning streak since the 2007-08 season, the last time they reached the conference finals.
The Pacers are just 1-12 this season and will be looking to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Pistons star Cade Cunningham and several other rotation players missed the past two games. It hasn’t mattered as Detroit continues to receive contributions throughout the roster.
Two-way player Daniss Jenkins epitomizes what the Pistons’ unheralded players have done in the past week. He has averaged 20.3 points, 7.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the last three games.
“I’m trying not to feed into it too much, but you want to soak it all up and take it all in,” Jenkins said. “But I don’t know man, I’m just trying to find my way. That’s all I’m trying to do. I’m just trying to keep going and show what I’ve been knowing I’m capable of.”
Javonte Green enjoyed his best game of the season in a 114-105 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday with a team-high 21 points. Two days earlier, Paul Reed racked up 28 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals in a wire-to-wire victory over Chicago.
“I’m not surprised. Like I said, the character of our guys leads me to believe that they can do anything,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The trust that they have in one another. They’ve just got a nastiness to them, and that’s the fun part about our group.
“They like it when it gets thick. They like it when it gets messy and it gets ugly. That’s where they thrive, and we like to take people there. We like to push people’s buttons and see how they respond.”
The last time the Pistons won 10 straight contests occurred on Jan. 23-Feb. 13, 2008.
The Pacers are also injury-riddled, starting with Tyrese Haliburton after his Achilles injury in last season’s NBA Finals. Their lack of cohesion is especially noticeable on the defensive end, while giving up 152, 133 and 129 points in their last three losses.
“We are playing in the NBA, the best league in the world,” Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said, according to the Indianapolis Star. “There shouldn’t be a reason why you’re out there every single night and not giving your best or trying to be the best that you can be and giving it your all. There’s thousands and millions of people who would give everything they have to be in the situation that we’re in. There’s no excuse.
“Obviously, it’s been tough on us. We have injuries every single day. Guys are in situations that they’re not supposed to be in. But we can’t find it as an excuse and just go out there every single night and be like, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ It has to matter. We have to fight.”
Siakam leads active Pacer players in scoring (24.6), rebounding (7.1) and assists (5.1).
Monday’s game is the first of four meetings between the Pacers and Pistons. Indiana has won seven of the last eight meetings over the past two seasons.
